As part of Kids in Museums Takeover Day Bury Art Museum was taken over by youngsters from a Streetwise 2000, a charity committed to improving the emotional well-being and mental health of young people who reside in and around the borough of Bury

Good afternoon, My name is Junaid, I am 24 years old and am from Streetwise 2000, a Young People’s Mental Health Charity in Bury, Lancashire.

Eight of us have taken over the Bury Art Museum. We are aiming to display our work in the “Enlighten” event which was based on the concept of “Foreigners”, our twist on this was to explore our personal history in Bury, and our unity as Mancunians as a whole, in light of the Manchester Bombing earlier this year.

Part of the Streetwise 2000 Takeover Day team at Bury Art Museum

Our work is mainly word based, with audio recording of our stories and families’ histories, along with some cross stitching and visual works. We have also performed poetry live in the café earlier this May, so you could say that we’re experienced in taking over museums.

Streetwise 2000 youngsters have made cross stitch work and audio recordings for Bury Art Museum

One thing that is great about such places is that they show the creative views and experiences of many artists under one roof, so they can inspire many generations of artists to come, and the fact that they’re free allows families and schools to visit. I would like to see a working relationship between young people and art museums develop and continue to grow, so that art can be appreciated by all.